Chapter Forty-Six
Everyone jumped. “Go.” We turned. “I’ll finish here, and then send Amy to help.” The Goddess waved her hand, and they were all just gone. She turned us back to Theo. “They can handle the attack.” She turned to the other Goddess. “Is there anything else you want to know?”
Selene stepped up next to us. “Are the humans planning to attack?”
I wanted him to deny it. But I watched the smile spread across his face. “You spent so many years worried about your creations, but you didn’t save the Lycans. Now you want to pretend that you will save us?” He laughed.
“Who says I didn’t save the Lycans?” She scoffed and turned away. “Do it.”
Hecate shoved our hands into his chest, and instead of his heart she plucked two orbs from his body. One glowed like the moon; another was dirt brown. Theo choked for a few seconds, staring at the two orbs in our hands. “What…are…those?”
Our smile grew wide. “Your souls.” She handed the moonlit one to Selene and then, as the life faded from Theo’s eyes, she crushed the dirt brown one. “You don’t deserve to reincarnate.”
Theo’s head dropped, his eyes stuck on the spot where his soul was crushed, and Selene turned to me. “We have to go.” She walked over. “Come, sister.”
I felt a tugging sensation in my chest, and the green smoke flowed from my nose and mouth. The smoke condensed into a thick cloud of dark green, and Hecate stepped out. Before I could stop my mouth, her name slipped out. “Henny.”
The Maiden nodded once before she paused and then shook her head. “Once upon a time, I was, but she was lost ages ago.” She shifted into the Mother. “I gave up that name when Kane died.”
I stepped over to her, and without thinking, pulled her into a hug. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.” I turned to Selene and did the same with her. “Both of you deserved more. Having the person you love betray you cuts deeper than most things.”
Both goddesses looked at me and chuckled. Selene pulled out of the hug. “Never in my life have I been comforted by someone I created.”
Hecate chuckled. “We are the ones usually comforting lost souls, and yet here you are, worried about us.” I stepped back so I could look at both of them.
“Of course I worry.” I smiled, but I felt it fall flat. “I know how painful it can be, as many others do, and how it wounds the soul. Goddess or not, you deserve compassion and understanding.”
Selene closed her eyes for a moment. “We must go; the attack isn’t going well.” She waved her hand, and the room dissolved. Trees sprang up, cutting off my view of the attack. Cries, grunts, and the savage growls of the hunt filled the air.
I nearly choked on the thick scent of blood. Go, child, save them before it is too late. The Moon Goddess’s voice filled my head. I was shoved from behind and whirled to see no one. Hurry! Urgency filled my body as I shifted and ran towards the fighting.
I ran through the trees, surprised to see how far away from the house Selene had dropped me. I saw an old tree that was bent over in the next clearing, so I charged up it, digging my claws into the bark. I slipped through the leaves, and I staggered when I saw the scene below.
Wolves were eviscerated. Bodies turning back to human form, stuck in a random gruesome pose. I couldn’t tell if they were our wolves, rogues, or some new pack coming to support the council. I couldn’t see my family, but on the far side, I saw Erubus fighting five wolves at once.
Don’t mind-link them. Nix words had me freezing for a second. This isn’t an attack; this is a war, and even a second of distraction could cost someone their lives.
I heard a scream, one I recognized, and I turned towards it.
Toya was fighting back to back with her mother against eight.
And I could tell from this distance that they were losing.
Roderick and the others must have been separated from them.
Toya’s mother was bitten, and she screamed.
I saw Toya tremble all the way from up here, and I knew she couldn’t keep going.
I dove off the tree and landed on a wolf I didn’t recognize. How do I tell if they are friendly? I don’t know everyone here. Panic ate away at my control, but the wolf under me snapped at me. I needed to decide.
Magic. Megan ran over to our power. The plant pulsed with power, and I knew somehow my power grew since the Goddess took me over, but I couldn’t focus on that right now. Use your magic so everyone knows who to attack. You aren’t the only one confused.
“How do you know?” I panted as I dodged away from the attacking wolf. Unsure if this was friend or foe. “Nix scent?” I dove out of the way of snapping jaws, but even Nix shook her head.
There are too many scents. She shook her head. Something else is in play. I should be able to focus on the wolf's scent, but something is stopping me from sifting through.
Megan nudged the potted plant, and I felt magic rush through me. You need to start using us and your magic together. It’s not one or the other; we can do both. And we should.
“We have been.”
Megan shook her head. Not really. You shift, and one of us does magic. Or you do magic while we front. You need to use everything you have to win. Stop holding yourself back. You need to take control of us and your magic.
“Of course I have.” I screamed as I rolled away.
Nix shook her head. She is right. None of us has done it. And I think she is right. I think once we get through this, we should practice fronting and do magic. That way, if something happens to one or two of us, the others can survive.
“I need to focus.” I growled as I felt teeth scrape my ear.
Megan nodded. So, cast the fucking spell. We can keep it steady, but I feel like it has to be you.
“Why?” I screamed when the wolf caught my tail on this attack. I whirled and batted his face, earning a whimper.
Megan screamed. It just feels like it has to be you. Now cast the fucking spell, Amy. Now! Or else it will be too late.
Megan was holding back from me. “What are you keeping from me?” I dodged another attack, but my wolf remained silent.
I waited for another minute, but still she refused to even look at me.
“Fine. If you don’t want to tell me, to trust me, then I will do things my way.
” Her head snapped around, and Nix growled.
But I ignored both of them and attacked the wolf in front of me. I just needed to injure it enough to get by. Megan growled. You are wasting time.
“And you are lying to me. Something we promised years ago to stop doing.” I managed to grab the wolf’s leg, and I heard a snap.
I dropped it at my feet, then turned and headed straight for Toya.
“So either we trust each other, or we don’t.
You can’t ask me to blindly trust you when you won’t do the same for me.
You either trust me to do what’s right, or you don’t.
” I made it to the ring of wolves attacking Toya and her mother, and I started snapping at legs.
“Make your decision before I make it for us.”
Megan looked at Nix, but my Lycan shook her head. Trust her. Or don’t. This is on you.
She seemed to hesitate for another second before my head was filled with the mind-link. Everyone was screaming. My father was looking for me. AMY ANSWER ME.
I froze for a second and then I grabbed a wolf by its spine and I snapped it. “You kept this from me?” I felt blood fill my mouth when my teeth closed around another’s tail. I ripped half of it off.
I- Megan tried to answer, but I howled.
“YOU HAD NO RIGHT.”
I needed you to cast the spell. Megan cried.
“Then you should have trusted me.” I shook my head, and I felt the burn of tears. “You betrayed me when everyone was in danger.”
Megan hesitated. I just want you to trust yourself. The way I do.
“You went about it the wrong way.” I growled in frustrated.
I took a minute to figure out a spell I could modify.
I found one in a second. “Desig nocta il orta nu.” I pushed all of my newfound power into the spell, and I felt the wave leave me.
I didn’t just feel the wave; I watched it.
The white ring pushed out from my body, and I watched as wolves went flying in the air from the force.
The trees bent away from me as the ring hit the surrounding foliage.
The screaming quieted for a second, and I used it.
Silvermoon, and friendly packs, hear me.
The moons are the mark of friendly wolves.
Attack the ones without it, freely and mercilessly.
AMY! My father’s voice boomed out. Where are you?
Fighting my way to Toya. I’m okay. Stay safe, and I’ll find you.
My dad scoffed. That’s my line, pup.
Someone else called out. Are we sure? I can’t scent anyone.
I used my gamma power to send calm through everyone I could. Someone is using magic to confuse us, but the moons are from me. If you trust me, trust the moons, and you won’t hurt anyone you shouldn’t.
A howl went out through the clearing, and further away I heard someone scream in anger, clearly frustrated.
Someone is trying to fight our spell. Megan’s voice sounded proud, but hurt at the same time. But they can’t; it’s too strong.
“You wanted me to realize our power had grown?” It was a question I already knew the answer to.
Yes. She whispered.
During an attack is not the time to block my mind-link so you can get your way. I growled in frustration. But a new thought hit me. Nix…use some magic to clear any spells attacking Megan right now.
Nix stalked over to Megan, who was already backing away. I’m not under any spell.
Nix stalked closer. That’s something someone magicked would say. Nix nosed the plant, and I heard her whisper a cleansing spell. Megan screamed, and her voice was joined by another scream from closer to the pack house.